Maximizing Informal Learning from Digital Technologies

When Americans think of literacy, they generally think of children’s ability to read and write words. This kind of literacy is indeed an important way to become a well-versed citizen in the information age (Neuman, Copple, & Bredekamp, 2000). However, often neglected and even diminished in importance are visual/ iconic and musical/echoic modes of thinking, which tend to be prominent in the information technologies that comprise children’s daily lives (Calvert, 1999). Visual and nonverbal auditory icons are also a legitimate mode of thinking, one that is undervalued and underused to reach children who do not readily understand the abstract verbal symbols that are required for success in school settings. Media use a rich display of visual and auditory production features, known as formal features, that can readily be used to instruct and teach children even as they are being entertained (Calvert, 1999). In particular, formal features such as action, sound effects, and singing can be used as scaffolds, building bridges between how a child thinks at particular points in development to the knowledge to be learned. Little is known about how children come to understand and become literate in the use of these media symbols that pervade their daily lives. Nor do we understand enough about how visual and nonlinguistic auditory symbols provide links to words in ways that can enhance or diminish literacy. Yet, African American and Latino children, who are often economically disadvantaged, are more likely to live in homes that are television dominated—where nonverbal, visual forms are prominent modes of experience—than are their Caucasian peers